Joining A New Team
by shortfury18
Summary: Aridena Nichols lost everything when a big corporation ruined her life, and now she wants to ruin them. That's when she runs into the Leverage team, who have the same goal as her. But what happens when she falls in love with Eliot Spencer and he falls for her as well? OCxEliot HardisonxParker SophiexNate
1. Chapter 1

I wasn't sure what was going to happen that night. All I knew was that I had to destroy Mr. King like he destroyed me. He needed to pay, and I was going to make sure that he did. He killed my sister and my brother and didn't even care. He said it was "collateral damage", but I knew better. He was a sick monster who didn't care about anyone.

I was in one of the hallways of King Industries, about to steal his data. I was going to prove to the world that Mr. King was a crook and that his new energy bars were killing people. My sister, Josephine, had eaten one the day she died. At least in the test, they had said she was old enough. My brother didn't even meet the age limit. He had snuck a bar from Josephine's lunchbox and died the next night. Howard didn't deserve to die, and neither did Josephine. King was going to pay…maybe even with his life.

I snuck into his office and filed through his drawers, looking for anything I could use against him.

"There has to be something here," I muttered, growing more frustrated by the second.

After a few minutes of searching, I finally found what I was looking for: a list of names of people that had died because of _him._ I looked down the list, and there they were. Josephine and Howard Nichols. I took the list, folded it, and hid it in my bag. I closed all the drawers and hurried out of the room and into the hallway. And that's when everything happened.

I saw a security guard staring at me. "Hey, what are you doing here?" he shouted, and advanced towards me.

I started to run down the hallway, looking for any way out. Then I heard a _thump_ and stopped. I turned around slowly and saw a man standing over the guard. He had shoulder length, wavy, brown hair and broad shoulders. When he looked up at me, I grew scared and backed away from him. He simply stepped over the guard and started walking towards me.

"Who are you?" he asked.

I stared him down. "Who wants to know?"

He kept walking towards me and eventually I hit the wall behind me. He stood a few feet in front of me, and I noticed how his eyes were a pale blue. He crossed his arms and I could see the muscles and scars. _He's going to kill me_ , I thought.

He cracked his neck before saying, "Eliot Spencer. You?"

I swallowed and held my bag close to my chest. "Aridena Nichols."

A small smirk appeared on his face. "I can tell you're not a true thief. So, what are you doing stealing those files?" He stepped a little closer. "I kind of need those."

I pressed against the wall and cleared my throat. "I need these to put King in cuffs. He deserves worse than jail for what he did!"

Eliot's brows furrowed. "What did he do to you?"

I jutted my chin out. "I'm not telling you, Spencer." I looked for an exit behind him, but I knew I couldn't escape. "I think I need these more than you."

Eliot held out his hand and glanced down at the bag. I shook my head. "Get away."

He sighed and slowly took the bag from me, and something broke inside me. I let him take it and slid down the wall, falling to the floor. Eliot kneeled down beside me.

"I'm going to ask again. What did he do to you?"

I sighed and looked into his eyes. "It's not what he did to me, it's what he did to my family." I swallowed back the tears. "My sister and my brother ate some of his energy bars and died a day later." I took a deep breath. "King called it, 'collateral damage.' I'll show him collateral damage!" I glanced at the bag. "With those files, he will be ruined."

Eliot sighed and held out his hand to me. I took it and he helped me up. "Look, Aridena, my team is doing the same thing you are. We're going to take him down."

I noticed that he didn't let go of my hand and I gave a small smile. "I want to help, Eliot. Please."

He chuckled softly and nodded. "Let me introduce you to the team. Then we can help you."

Eliot led me down the hallway to an elevator, where the doors opened to reveal a shaft. My eyes opened as I stared into the darkness.

"Um…how are we getting down?" I asked nervously.

I heard a sound like a zip line getting closer and closer and I backed up behind Eliot. I watched as a girl stopped right in front of us, her eyes staring straight at us.

"Well? Get on."

Eliot groaned. "I don't do this, Parker. You know that!"

The girl I assumed was named Parker raised an eyebrow. "Fine." Her dark eyes turned to me. "Who's she?"

Eliot glanced at me and his gaze softened. "Did you hear the comms? This is Aridena."

Parker pursed her lips and nodded. "The girl King screwed over. Climb on."

Eliot pushed me forward and motioned me onto the cable. "You'll be fine. She won't let you get hurt."

Parker tilted her head slightly upward as to consider that option. "I probably won't."

I took one last glance at Eliot before jumping onto the cable and we slid down to the bottom. I kept my eyes upward and Eliot stayed there, watching me, until we were out of sight. When we landed on the roof of the elevator, Parker opened the hatch on the top and jumped in. I followed her example and landed in the elevator. The doors opened and three people were staring at us. I felt my breath get caught in my throat as I backed up to the wall of the elevator.

There were two guys and one girl looking at me. One guy looked me up and down and turned to the girl in the middle.

"We might be able to help her, Soph. She may need us," the guy said.

The girl, Soph, sighed in return. "Nate, I don't know. Eliot found her snooping in King's office," said with a British accent.

The other man beside her, a black man, turned to Soph. "Hey, Sophie, I agree with Nate."

Sophie was about to respond when a familiar voice said, "For once, Hardison is right. And so is Nate. We can help her."

Eliot came running up behind the three people. Eliot smiled at me and held his hand out, helping me out of the elevator.

"This is my team. You've already met Parker."

The blonde girl beside me with the cable smiled widely and waved. Eliot turned to the three others.

"This is Nate Ford, Sophie Devereaux, and Hardison."

Hardison put his finger up. "My name is Alec. Alec Hardison."

I smiled weakly. "Uh…hi. I'm Aridena. Aridena Nichols."

I turned to Eliot. "He said you do what I was trying to do. I want to ruin King for killing my family."

Nate stepped forward. "We can help you, Aridena. It's what we do."

I laughed with relief. "Thank you!"

Eliot smiled at me and put his arm around my shoulders. "Do you have a place to stay?"

I nodded. "Yes. I've been staying in a hotel a couple streets down. Of course, I'm almost out of money, so I won't be there long."

Eliot turned to Nate. "Let's bring her in, Nate. She could help."

Sophie rolled her eyes. "I really don't think we should do this."

I looked at Sophie and sighed. "I understand that you don't trust me. I get it. I don't trust you either. The only one I trust is Eliot. But, please listen to me." I stepped forward. "He killed my family. They were the only ones I had left. My parents died when I was fifteen, leaving me to take care of my ten year old sister, and my three year old brother. Sophie, my brother was eighteen when he died. Do you think that was right?"

Sophie's jaw tightened but then relaxed. "Fine."

I sighed in relief. Nate tilted his head at me. "Eliot is the only one you trust?"

Hardison laughed. "Eliot? Really?"

Eliot glared at him. "Shut up, Hardison!"

I chuckled. "He found me. He helped me." I turned to Parker. "I trust her as well."

Hardison turned around while muttering, "Trusting Eliot and Parker, what am I…?"

Eliot rolled his eyes. "Get over your ego."

Nate nodded his head in the direction behind him. "Aridena, come with us to our office. We'll explain everything to you."

I nodded and felt Eliot nudge me forward, and I turned to look at him. He smiled at me, one side of his mouth coming up. I smiled back and let a group of criminals lead me into their lives.


	2. Chapter 2

**Three Weeks Later**

Three weeks later, and I was unofficially part of their team. They would come to me when they needed certain information, and I would help with anything else they needed. I didn't come with them on their scams, mostly because Eliot wouldn't let me.

"It's too dangerous," he said to me when I asked to come.

"Why?"

He sighed and placed his hands on my shoulder. "Do you remember when I explained to you what I do?"

I nodded and he raised an eyebrow. "Then you know how dangerous it can be. Stay here at the office with Hardison."

So now I mostly sit in the office, listening to the team talk in the comms, sometimes offering a bit of advice or a sarcastic comment. I watched Hardison do whatever he does with the technology and tried not to feel left out. I understood that I was an outsider, and the five of them already had mutual trust. The only one that really made me feel included was Eliot. He would always tell me what was going on, and I appreciated that.

"Parker, motion sensor on your right and a heat sensor five yards in front of you," Hardison instructed.

I pulled up a chair next to Hardison and leaned my elbows on the table.

"So, how's it going with them?"

Hardison quickly glanced at me. "Nate and Sophie are working on scamming King now, Parker is stealing the money in his vault, and Eliot is probably beating somebody up."

"I can hear you, Hardison," Eliot growled into the comms.

I chuckled. "What are you actually doing, Eliot?" I asked.

"Well, right now, I'm watching the vault and looking out for any guards. None so far. Wait…"

There was silence and then the unmistakable sound of Eliot beating up a guy. Hardison threw his hands up.

"See, told you."

"Shut up, Hardison! Little busy here!"

I chuckled. "Be careful, Eliot!"

Then, there was silence. "Eliot, are you there?"

No answer. I stood up and pressed the comm in my ear. "Eliot? Answer me!"

"Sorry, comm fell out," Eliot answered.

I breathed a sigh of relief and sat back down. "Don't scare me like that."

"Alright, enough chit chat. How's it going, Parker?" Nate interrupted.

"Almost cracked it," Parker whispered. "Almost…there…got it."

I smiled and sat back in my chair. "How do ya'll do this?" I asked Hardison. "I mean, these scams are brilliant."

Hardison shrugged. "Nate comes up with the plans. The rest of us are just very good at our jobs."

I nodded. "So…Eliot explained to me what everyone does, but I never really got the in depth information."

Hardison lifted his fingers off the keyboard and turned to face me. "Well, I'm the hacker. I can get into anything, that's what I do. Nate is the mastermind of the group. He finds the clients, comes up with the plan, and helps officiate it. Sophie is a grafter, and the best one at that."

"Thank you, Hardison," Sophie interjected.

Hardison smiled. "Yeah, yeah, you're welcome. Anyway, Parker is the thief. She can steal almost anything I have found out. And Eliot? Well he's the hitter."

"Retrieval specialist, Hardison. Get it right," Eliot said with annoyance.

Hardison waved his hand. "Yeah, sure. Well he can take down any man. And you probably know a lot more about him."

I shrugged. "I guess you could say that."

Hours later, the team returned to headquarters to discuss what to do for the following days in the scam. When Eliot walked through the door, I felt my heart leap. I wasn't sure why I was feeling this way. I mean, we had just met a few weeks ago. That's all.

Eliot walked up to me and sat down next to me. His smile almost brought me to my knees.

"How did it go today?" he asked quietly.

I smiled and tried not to blush. "Well, from what I heard, it went pretty well."

Eliot nodded and his eyes shifted to my waist. I slowly nodded and he wrapped his arm around me. I leaned into him and rested my head against his chest. The rest of the team joined us on the couch, and Sophie eyed us with surprise. But then, she smiled and her eyes twinkled. I smiled back and felt Eliot pull me closer to him. I suppressed a sigh of happiness and just leaned up against him.

"Good work today, but we still have a long way to go team," Nate started. "Tomorrow, Sophie and I will get King to sign our contract so that he will sell his energy bars to us. Hardison, continue to look up anything that we can use against him. Parker and Eliot will go back to the vault and rob him blind. Steal everything. I want him broke."

I nodded. "So do I, Nate."

He turned to me, eyeing Eliot's arm around me, and Eliot only held me tighter. Nate smiled. "We will get the justice Josephine and Howard deserve."

I smiled in response. "Good."

Nate finished the daily talk and the team dispersed to go to their homes. Nate walked upstairs, leaving only me and Eliot left on the couch. He turned to me and smirked.

"We can go to my place," he whispered.

I smiled. "Sounds like a plan."

Eliot stood up, helping me up. "Let's go."


	3. Chapter 3

When we got to Eliot's place, I wasn't sure what to expect. It was just an ordinary apartment. I expected a warehouse in the middle of nowhere or something like that. Eliot led me inside and we sat down on his couch.

"I'm really glad you joined the team," he said.

I looked down. "Eliot, I don't think I'm really a part of the team. I'm still an outsider to them, and I get that." I swallowed. "After this job, I think I'm going to leave. Once King is taken care of, I'll have accomplished what I wanted done. And then…I'll leave."

Eliot straightened up and took my hands. "No, you can't leave. We…I need you."

I smiled softly. "Really? I doubt that."

Eliot looked me in the eye and then slowly leaned in. His lips touched mine and I fell in love. I wrapped my hands around his neck and he wrapped his arms around my waist. He pulled me close as we kissed together.

After the kiss, Eliot smiled at me. "Doubt me now?"

I shook my head and leaned against his chest. He held me close and whispered, "Promise me you won't leave, okay?"

I nodded against his chest. "Promise."

I closed my eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.

When I woke up, my head was on a pillow and a blanket was covering me. Eliot was nowhere to be seen. I slowly sat up, groaning.

"Eliot?"

I looked around and stood up. "Eliot?" I asked again.

Finally, he poked his head around the corner. "Right here."

I smiled and walked up to him. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into a kiss. I stepped back and looked around.

"Are you…making breakfast?" I asked.

He shrugged. "I can cook."

I laughed and saw that he was cooking eggs and pancakes. "A gourmet meal!" I turned to him. "Eliot…this is amazing."

He chuckled. "I'm glad you like it."

We sat down for breakfast and shared a meal together before packing up to go meet the team at headquarters.

As we were walking to the office, Eliot stopped. "I need to run inside the store quickly and grab something for Nate. Do you mind?"

I shook my head. "I'll wait here. Go ahead."

He gave me a quick peck before going inside. I waited outside the store with my arms crossed, when I heard a familiar voice.

"Aridena?"

I turned to the voice and gasped. "Jacob?" I whispered.

Jacob Norton walked up to me and smiled. "It's been a long time, Ari."

I flinched at the nickname. "Last time I saw you, you were breaking my heart at the senior prom in high school."

Jacob hung his head and sighed. "Yes, and I'm sorry." He walked a little closer. "But I'm single now, so…Want to relive good memories?"

He started to lean in when I pushed him back. "I have a boyfriend who could fracture any bone in your body before you had the chance to blink."

Jacob scoffed and stepped back. "Uh-huh, sure, Ari. And where is this legendary boyfriend?"

I crossed my arms. "Inside the store."

Jacob nodded. "Sure." He walked towards me again and took my arm. "C'mon, let's get out of here."

I stared at his hand on my arm. "Get off of me."

He just laughed. "Come on, it will be fun! Reliving the good times, just you and me."

I stepped back. "I said, get off me."

Just then, Eliot walked out, glaring at Jacob. I put my hand up and pressed it against Eliot's chest.

"He's not worth it."

Eliot glared at Jacob. "Is he bothering you?" he asked me

I shook my head. "Let's just go."

Jacob just laughed again. "This is your boyfriend? He doesn't look so tough."

Jacob reached out to grab my arm again and I yanked it away in response. Eliot looked at that movement, and then back at Jacob. In a split second, Jacob was on the ground, and had just been punched by Eliot.

"If you ever touch her again, I'll kill you. Understand?" Eliot threatened.

Jacob moaned in response. I took Eliot's hand. "Let's go, okay? The team is probably waiting for you."

Eliot nodded and started to walk away with me. He kept his hands in his pockets, giving me space in case I was angry with him. I turned to him.

"Thank you. You could have done much worse. Thank you for sparing that low life."

Eliot gave a small smile. "Anything for you."

I leaned into him and he took that movement as clearance to wrap his arm around my waist. I wrapped my arm around his and smiled.

"Jacob was my boyfriend in high school, and he was the only one there for me when my parents died, so I thought dating him would make up for it. Of course, he only hurt me, and I never trusted him again."

Eliot sighed. "I'm so sorry. I promise I won't ever hurt you."

I smiled. "I know you won't. And that's why I…"

I let the phrase trail off, not wanting to make any sudden assumptions that he felt the same way.

Eliot chuckled. "I love you, too."

I looked up at him and smiled. "We better hurry before the team starts without us."

Eliot scoffed. "Eh, they wouldn't start without us. Especially not me."

I laughed as we walked into the place I had started to consider my home.


	4. Chapter 4

When we arrived back at the office, I heard arguing coming from inside. Eliot opened the door and I saw Nate and Hardison yelling at each other.

"It's too dangerous! She's too involved. She shouldn't be a part of this con," Nate argued.

Hardison rolled his eyes. "Nate, she knows him! She knows more about King than you or I. Besides, do you really believe Eliot is going to allow us to tell her to leave? Nate, listen to me. We need her."

"She could get hurt, Hardison!" Nate shouted back. "It is way too dangerous for her. She's not used to what we do!"

Sophie interjected into the argument. "Maybe we should let her decide."

All of a sudden, all three of them faced me, and Nate's face turned pale. Hardison swallowed and stepped back. I felt Eliot's grip tighten around my hand as his jaw clenched.

"Nate…you want to force Aridena to leave?" Eliot growled.

Nate sighed. "Uh, Eliot…I have my reasons. But Sophie is right." Nate turned to me. "What do you think?"

I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out. I turned to Eliot. "I told you," I whispered. "I told you eventually it would happen."

I let go of Eliot's hand and ran out of the office, my heart pounding fast. Of course Nate didn't want me involved. I wasn't a team member, never was. I was just helping with the information for the con. They never needed me. Eliot…Eliot never needed me.

I ran out of the building and down the street to a café. I walked inside and took a seat at a booth in the far corner of the building. I rested my head on my hands on the table. A waitress came by and asked for my order.

"Can I get you anything?" she asked politely.

I sighed and swallowed. "Can I have hot chocolate with whip cream?" I asked.

 _I sound like a child_ , I thought. But I needed hot chocolate right now. I felt my phone buzz and saw that it was Eliot calling me. I ignored the call and put my phone in my pocket. I really didn't want to talk to him right now. I thought that maybe I could fit in with the team, but I never would.

The waitress brought me my hot chocolate with a sugar cookie. She smiled at me. "You looked like you needed a cookie," she said smiling. "On the house."

I smiled back. "Thank you. You have no idea how much I needed that."

I drank my hot chocolate while contemplating what to do. I could go back and talk to the team, but Nate would be calling the shots most likely. Whatever Nate says, goes, even if Hardison and Eliot disagree. I felt Eliot calling me again and finally decided to answer.

"Aridena, where are you?" he asked. He sounded worried, but angry at the same time.

I sighed. "I needed to get away, Eliot. I'm never going to be a part of the team so why try?"

There was a pause. "Because I need you. Aridena, you are my miracle. I've never felt this way about anyone before. Please, I need to see you."

I felt tears on the brim of my eyes. I sniffed and said weakly, "I'm at a café a few blocks away from the office."

Eliot hung up and a minute later, he came strutting through the door. He saw me at my booth and came straight towards me. I stood up to greet him and he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close to him. I felt his breath on my ear, his heart beating quickly in his chest.

"Please don't disappear like that again," he whispered, and his voice tickled my ear.

I took a deep breath. "I'll try not to."

He hugged me tighter and I held him close to me. "Eliot," I muttered, "what is the team saying?"

Eliot hesitated, but then pushed me back to face me. He sighed, and then said, "Nate still stands with his opinion, but Hardison and I think you should stay."

I twirled his hair around my fingers, and a small grin appeared on his face. "What do Sophie and Parker say?"

Eliot ran his hand down my side and sent a chill throughout my body. He cupped my cheek in his hand and I leaned into him.

"Parker is on my side, but she also agrees with Nate. Sophie didn't pick a side. She wants you to decide."

I sighed and leaned my head on Eliot's chest, and he held me close. "What do I do? I want to be with you, but I don't want to cause friction with the team?"

Eliot held me tighter and kissed my forehead. "Hey, let's go talk to Nate, okay?"

I nodded and felt my hand slip into Eliot's. He left few bills on the table and walked with me out of the café and back to the office. When we arrived, Nate and Hardison were still arguing, but this time, Parker was sitting on the couch, watching both of them. The arguing stopped when I walked into the room. I took a deep breath.

"Nate, I want to stay. I've grown close to all of you, including you Nate. You've become my family, or the closest thing to a family that I can have. But if you think that I'm not useful, I'll leave. I know that the five of you have an unbreakable bond. I don't want to cause friction between any of you, but I want you to know that I love Eliot, and that I will still be around, whether or not I'm helping with a con. So, that's where I stand."

Nate turned towards me and sighed. "I appreciate your honesty, Aridena. I want you to know where I'm coming from. I know how dangerous this job can be, and I don't want you getting hurt. You're not trained in any way, and you could get pulled into things that are not good for you. Either way…I have decided that you can stay."

I gaped at Nate and saw Hardison opening and closing his mouth in shock. "I…I can stay?" I whispered.

Nate held up a finger. "On one condition: if I believe that the con is too dangerous, I'm pulling you out. You stay here at the office and monitor on the coms. Agreed?"

I nodded. "Agreed!"

Eliot pulled me into a hug and I chuckled in relief. He chuckled back, his breath bringing me comfort. Hardison brought Nate into a hug, despite Nate's objections.

"Thank you, man, thank you!"

Nate pulled away. "Uh, yeah, you're welcome."

Parker stood up. "So, she's staying?"

I nodded. "Is that okay with you, Parker?"

The smallest grin appeared. "Yeah, that's okay."

Sophie smiled at me. "Welcome to the team, Aridena."


	5. Chapter 5

Eliot and I were lounging on the couch in the office when Nate came bursting in. "Alright, team, this is it. We're taking King down for good."

I looked up at Nate. "How?"

He smirked down at me. "By convincing him that he is invincible."

I looked at Eliot for help, and he just shrugged. "That's his thing."

I chuckled and Eliot pulled me close to him. I laid my head on his chest and I felt his chest move up and down with his breathing. Hardison, Parker, and Sophie walked in and took their places in the office. Parker noticed us on the couch and signaled us to move. Eliot made a sound like a grunt and slowly sat up, with me moving with him. Parker glanced at us and narrowed her eyes. I tilted my head.

"What is it, Parker?" I asked.

She opened her mouth, and then closed it. I moved to the other side of Eliot so I could sit next to Parker.

"Tell me what's wrong, Parker," I inquired.

She shifted in her seat. "It's just…" She paused and sighed. "You and Eliot seem so comfortable…being together…in public."

Eliot wrapped his arm around my shoulder. "But you and Hardison are comfortable together," he said matter-of-factly.

I nudged Eliot and nodded at Parker to continue. "But…?" I asked.

Parker looked down. "I've never been…comfortable…with being physical." She crossed her arms. "It's still so new to me."

I placed my hand on her arm. "Parker, it's okay. Hardison will never do anything to make you feel uncomfortable. Just be honest with him."

Parker looked up at me and nodded. "Thanks, Aridena."

I smiled. "Of course. If you ever need me, I'm here."

She gave a small grin. "Same."

Nate cleared his throat and we all turned to listen to him. "Okay, so King is obsessed with making as much money as possible, no matter who dies."

I flinched slightly and Eliot rubbed my arm. Nate paused for a second, and then continued.

"My plan is to buy his company and then exploit him, and tell the world who he has killed intentionally. Make him feel that he can get away with anything, and then tear him down."

I nodded and glanced at Eliot. His eyes were fixed on Nate, his jaw relaxed and his guard down. I slowly leaned into him, and he glanced down at me, a smile appearing on his face. After Nate briefed us, we still had some time before we had to go, so I saw Parker go up to Hardison. She said something, and he smiled. Then he slowly reached down and held her hand gently. She nodded and then leaned into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him. Then he kissed her forehead and led her to another part of the office, where they held each other close.

I wrapped my arms around Eliot, and he laid back down on the couch. I closed my eyes and sighed. Before I knew it, I had fallen asleep.

 _I knew it was a dream before anything really happened. I was at my old house and my siblings were lounging on the couch, flipping through the channels._

 _"_ _Put a movie on," Howard ordered._

 _Josephine rolled her eyes. "I'm trying to, you dork."_

 _I watched my siblings and suddenly felt like everything was back to normal, and I felt happy._

 _"_ _Ooh, Josephine, put on that movie. That was Mom's favorite," I suggested._

 _Josephine smiled at me. "Good choice."_

 _Howard laughed. "Yeah, I actually like this movie."_

 _I relaxed in the chair I was sitting in. The movie started and went on for a few hours, and eventually ended. When it finally did, I noticed that Josephine and Howard were sitting extremely still._

 _"_ _Hey guys, everything okay?" I asked._

 _Josephine slowly turned her head towards me and her eyes were lifeless. I gasped and jumped out of my chair. I turned to Howard and he wasn't moving. I started to hyperventilate._

 _"_ _It's just a dream, it's just a dream!"_

 _Josephine stood up robotically and moved towards me. I backed up into a wall._

 _"_ _No, this is a dream!"_

 _Josephine stood a few feet away from me when she said, "You could've saved us, but you didn't. We could still be alive."_

 _I shook my head. "No!"_

 _Her robotic voice continued. "You could have us…but not Eliot. You chose Eliot over us."_

 _I covered my ears. "No! I didn't have a choice! I met Eliot after you had already died!"_

 _Howard's robotic voice ringed. "You chose Eliot over us. Instead of mourning you fell in love."_

 _I cried and sunk to the floor. "I mourned for years! Leave me alone! Leave me!"_

 _Josephine and Howard kept accusing me of choosing Eliot over them. "Leave me…" I muttered as I slowly drifted away._

I woke up with a gasp, and my cheeks were wet with tears. Eliot was gone and so was the rest of the team. I tried catching my breath and wiped the tears away. It was all a dream. I thought back to the dream and just started crying harder. I picked up my phone and called Eliot, hoping to find out where he was."

"Hey, babe," Eliot answered.

I swallowed, and tried to make my voice seem normal. "Hey, where did y'all go?"

"Nate wanted to go with the con, and I didn't want to wake you. You seemed so peaceful. But I left an earbud on the table for you so you can keep up with what we're doing."

I nodded, keeping my voice steady. "Okay, sounds good."

There was a pause. "Aridena, I know when someone is hiding something from me. It's a very distinctive tone of voice. What are you hiding?"

I couldn't hold it back anymore. I started to cry. "E-Eliot, I had a nightmare. Josephine and Howard were back, and they blamed me." I gasped for a breath. "They accused me of choosing you over them. They said I didn't even mourn them!"

Eliot shushed me. "Shh, it's okay now. It was just a nightmare. Look, I'll be back in a few hours okay? I'll stay with you all night. And if you have a nightmare, I'll be there."

I sniffed and nodded. "O-okay. I'll be here."

"Okay, baby, try to relax. I'll be back soon. I love you."

"I love you, too."

I hung up the phone and fell back onto the couch, letting my eyes close. This was going to be a long couple of hours. I put in the earbud before relaxing on the couch. I wanted to know exactly when Eliot would be back.

After a few hours, I heard Eliot say that he was coming back to the office to get me. I ran downstairs and waited for him at the door. When Eliot opened the door, I jumped into his arms. He held me tight and shushed me.

"It's all okay. We took King down. He won't hurt anyone ever again, I promise."

I smiled. "That's amazing news."

Eliot took my hands. "Let's go back to my house and head to bed. I won't leave your side tonight."

I nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

We walked hand in hand back to his place, where I felt safe and secure.


	6. Chapter 6

I walked into Eliot's room and climbed into his bed. He had told me he slept on the side closest to the door so I moved to the other side, bringing the majority of the covers with me. Eliot was still in the living room, shutting everything off. I saw the lights turn off and then heard his footsteps get closer until he entered the room. His face lit up when he saw me on the bed.

"Aridena, you look absolutely stunning lying in my bed," he said quietly.

I blushed and patted the spot next to me. "Come join me, babe."

Eliot walked to the bed and climbed in next to me. I rolled over on my side to face him. He gently brushed the hair away from my eyes, and leaned in for a kiss. I put my finger on his lips and his eyes slowly opened. I smirked at him.

"Not just yet, cowboy."

I scooted close to him and he put his arm around me, pulling me as close as possible. He whispered in my ear, "I promised I would stay by your side, so that's what I plan to do."

His voice tickled my ear and I giggled softly. Eliot kissed my forehead and then worked his way down my face until he reached my lips. He hesitated, looking into my eyes. To answer him, I leaned in first and kissed him. A small groan of happiness came from Eliot and I smiled. When I pulled away to look into his eyes, I could only see happiness.

"I love you," he whispered.

I blushed and pressed my forehead to his. "Oh, Eliot, you have no idea how much I love you. I don't think you know how much you have changed my life." I lifted my chin slightly. "Just being here with you is perfect."

Eliot smiled and whispered, "Goodnight, Aridena. See you in the morning."

I nodded and slowly closed my eyes. I snuggled in as close as I could to Eliot and he only pulled me tightly. I was so close I could feel his breath growing slower as he fell asleep. I wanted to listen to him breathe all night, but my body felt otherwise. I felt myself falling asleep, and before I knew it, I was asleep.

 _I was with my whole family in my childhood home. My parents were with me, and I was so excited to see them. I didn't care that it was just a dream, I was grateful just to be near them. My mom was braiding my hair and Josephine was singing softly next to me. Dad and Howard were watching baseball on the television and I heard Dad groan and yell at the TV._

" _You should have caught that! Somebody tell the Coach to bring in Roy Chapell. He'll win the game for the team."_

 _I giggled softly, but then thought about what he had said. This wasn't a memory…this was a fantasy…so why was Eliot's alias in here?_

 _Josephine laughed out loud. "Hey, Aridena, maybe you should call Roy and get him to win the game! I mean, he is your boyfriend."_

 _Roy Chappell, aka Eliot Spencer, was my boyfriend in this dream? I had everything I ever wanted, so why was I so confused?_

" _Oh, yeah, good plan, Josie."_

 _Mom hummed and then said, "Aridena, I thought you were dating Kenneth Crane."_

" _I thought she was dating that Doctor!" Howard yelled from the other room. "Doctor Wes Abernathy!"_

 _Oh no, everything was messing up. Josephine turned to me. "Do you really know who you are dating, Aridena?" Her eyes glassed over. "Maybe you don't know him at all."_

 _Mom stopped braiding my hair and muttered, "Maybe he's not all that he says he is. Think about that."_

 _I pulled away from her and faced my mom and sister. "No! You don't know what you're talking about! I love Eliot!"_

 _Suddenly, Howard and Dad appeared. Howard turned to Dad. "She's confused. I knew this would happen. She should have chosen us. We won't confuse her."_

 _I stepped away from all of them. "Just stop it! Stop it!"_

 _I ran from the room and into the living room. All of Eliot's aliases were on the TV, spinning around in a circle. I held my head and closed my eyes._

" _Make it stop! Stop!"_

I woke up with a jolt, my heart pounding. I was still lying on my side, Eliot next to me. His eyes were still closed but his breathing wasn't slow like when he was sleeping. I swallowed and whispered, "Eliot?"

He opened his eyes and smiled at me. "Hey, babe." He saw my expression and frowned. "Nightmare?"

I nodded and sat up, leaning my back against the headrest. "I don't know what's happening, Eliot. In both nightmares, you were involved."

Eliot sat up next to me, his eyes fixed on me. "Aridena, if this is too much for you, I understand." He lifted his chin and let out a breath. "If you want me to take you somewhere else to stay, that's fine. I think Sophie would be okay with it. You don't want to stay with Parker, she lives in a creepy wareh-"

I stopped him. "Eliot, I don't want to leave. I want to be here with you."

Eliot smiled slightly. "I don't want you to leave either, but I also don't want you to continue having nightmares."

I sighed and looked at him. His pale blue eyes were fixed on me, and his hair fell perfectly on his shoulders. I studied his chiseled features and wanted to kiss him so badly at that moment. I was totally, and completely, in love with Eliot Spencer.

I smiled at him. "As long as I'm with you, I feel safe."

I leaned in and kissed him gently, pulling back leaving him wanting more. He smirked and cupped my face in his palm.

"I will always keep you safe."

I sighed happily and sunk back into the covers with Eliot joining me. He pulled me into an embrace and I fell into a nightmare-less, blissful sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

I went in early to meet up with the rest of team the next morning at the headquarters. Eliot came in later because he was taking care of his garden. He usually has time for his garden since he only sleeps 90 minutes a day, but last night he didn't leave my side.

"You wanted me to stay, so I did," he had told me. "The garden can wait."

When I arrived at the office, the other four were already discussing today's mark. I sat down on the couch in my usual spot. Hardison stopped his explanation and looked at me.

"Hey, Aridena, where's Eliot?"

I rubbed my neck in embarrassment. "He had to take care of some things. He'll be here soon, I promise."

As if on schedule, Eliot marched through the door, collapsing on the couch next to me. He glared at Hardison.

"Well? What do you have on the mark?"

Hardison raised an eyebrow in offense. "Ungrateful," he muttered.

He started up on his explanation again as Eliot turned and smiled at me. He leaned in to whisper in my ear.

"Everything is good with the garden. By the time we go home, we should have some healthy plants."

I giggled softly. "So they'll be ready by tonight?"

Eliot hesitated. "Well, not exactly…"

Nate interjected. "Alright, let's go steal a gondola."

I glanced at Nate as he stood up and the rest of the team followed him. I turned back to Eliot.

"Wait, gondola? You're going to Venice?!"

Eliot sighed. "Yes, we are. The mark has a prized gondola that we're going to sell to him."

I scooted away from him. "So when you say the plants will be ready by the time we get home…you mean when _you_ get home." I crossed my arms. "How long will it take, huh? A week? Two?"

He sighed again. "Four."

I gasped. "Four? A month?"

I shot up off the couch and moved away from him. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Eliot stood up and walked towards me, but I just backed away. Eliot stopped and clenched his jaw.

"Because I knew you would act this way. I didn't want you to worry. I know you have a lot on your mind, and I didn't want to cause you any more pain, okay?"

I sighed and dropped my arms. "So…I'll be alone for a month."

I walked into Eliot's arms and he held me close. I felt his breath my ear and it sent shivers down my spine. Eliot chuckled.

"Remember when I said the plants would be done but the time _we_ got home?"

I pulled away and stared at Eliot. "Wait…I can come?" I whispered.

He smiled. "I talked to the team, and they want you to come…and so do I."

I squealed with joy and threw my arms around him. "Yes! I've always wanted to go to Venice!" Then I paused. "Wait, I don't have any bags packed!"

Eliot smirked and nodded his head towards the door. "Your bags are already packed in the car."

A wide smile stretched across my face as I looked at Eliot. "Gosh I love you."

He laughed and leaned down to kiss me. I gratefully accepted.

"Well what are we waiting for?" I asked when we finished our kiss. "Let's go to Venice!"

I ran out of the office with Eliot following me, laughing. When we got to the car, I climbed into the back. Unfortunately, the car was meant for five, so I was squished in between Eliot and Parker. Parker offered to switch places, but I declined the offer.

"I can do tight spaces, Aridena. In fact, I like them," she said.

I smiled. "Thank you, Parker, but I would like to sit next to Eliot, if you don't mind."

Parker smirked. "Okay, then I can do this."

She reached across me and poked Eliot in the arm. His lip curled in annoyance.

"Parker…" he warned.

She poked him again, laughing as she did so. Eliot snarled and looked away. Parker poked him again, and then one more time. Finally, I caught her hand mid-poke.

"Uh, Parker, I think you should stop. Just because I'm here won't stop Eliot from exploding back here."

Eliot growled in response and I resisted the urge to laugh. Parker just smiled happily and pulled out a lock and timer.

"I need to get faster with my lock picking," she said when I looked at her strangely. "The faster I get, the easier the cons."

I smiled. "That's awesome, Parker."

I pulled out a book. "I think I'm just going to read."

Parker's lip curled in disgust at the book. "Uh, okay."

I rolled my eyes at her and started reading. We were driving to the airport to fly to Venice, but the drive to the airport would take at least an hour. During the drive, Eliot mostly stared at the window, looking occasionally to see what page I was on in my book. Nate and Sophie chatted the whole time while Hardison was doing something with his phone. I never understood what he does. All I know is that it works.

About halfway through the drive, Eliot turned to me. "Hey, babe, are you sure you're okay with this? Traveling with us a lot?"

I looked up from my book and smiled at him. "Eliot, this is my lifelong dream. Of course I'm okay with this." I took his hand in mine. "As long as I'm with you, I'm happy."

He smiled, and then kissed my forehead. "I am too, Aridena."

I looked back down at my book and Eliot rested his head on my shoulder. I chuckled softly. "I can tell you're tired. Go ahead and sleep if you want to, babe."

Eliot muttered something that sounded like, "I'm not sleeping."

I scooted a little bit more towards Parker so I could lean my head on Eliot's head on my shoulder. I started reading my book again and smiled. My mind drifted as I read my book, but because I was near Eliot, I was happy.


End file.
